1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to the formation of Schottky barrier diodes and in particular the formation of such Schottky barrier diodes by the use of a platinel silicide.
2. Description of Prior Art
In integrated circuits used for certain applications as, for example, primarily logic circuit applications, Schottky barrier diodes are used in conjunction with the base-collector junction in order to keep the transistor from going deeply into saturation during operation. Previously this has been accomplished by using gold diffusion and other approaches to decrease the carrier lifetime. Such Schottky barrier diodes improve the recovery time of a device and thus improve the speed of the integrated circuit. Schottky barrier diodes have been formed using an aluminum silicide. However, because of the Schottky barrier height, it has been difficult to provide a plurality of such devices which can be placed in operation all at the same time as, for example, in a large integrated circuit. There is, therefore, a need for a new and improved Schottky barrier diode.